Getting to know... Talkboy

Indie newcomers Talkboy are about to drop their new tune ‘Someone Else For You’ (out Friday 8th February via Come Play With Me / LAB Records). It’s their “first attempt at a love song”, the Leeds bunch explain. Steeped in resentment and regret, it’s probably not one you’ll want to play to your other half on Valentine’s.

Check out the new single a few hours' early below, and get to know Katie Heap (vocals), Calum Juniper (vocals), Tim Malkin (guitar), Charlotte Jones (keys), Tom Sargent (bass) and Jake Greenway (drums) a little better in the interim.Hey guys, how's it going? What are you lot up to at the mo?Tim: Hey Dork, we’re good thanks, hope you’re getting on alright. We’re currently sat at a bar drinking Heineken and eating some very fine Henderson’s crisps (no product placement intended) - we feel very much at home.Jake: It’s going good! At the minute we’re just finishing off our upcoming EP and getting about playing shows.

When did you realise that you wanted to make music?Charlotte: I’ve always known I’ve wanted to do music from when I was tiny, and my grandma said I had piano fingers. Actually making music wasn’t too long ago really. I realised that the best way to communicate with a listener is through your own composition; it’s nice realising that you’ve got something to say too.Cal: For me, it was the moment I listened to The Doors’ first record, top to bottom! It takes all my strength to keep my shirt on at gigs and not go full Lizard King.

How did you guys all meet and decide to form a band? Jake: All of us met at University, and since then we’ve been playing together in various forms for years. Early last year we realised we were all on the same page and wanted to start working on songs and now here we are!Sarge: We all studied at Leeds College of Music, and with it being a small building, everyone knew everyone. Some of us did our Masters there which is where me, Cal, Jake and Tim started a project while Katie, Charlotte, Jake and Tim had their own band from a few years before. Around November time in 2017, we decided to merge the projects to which, Talkboy was born.

Did you know what kind of music you wanted to make right from the start?Katie: We thought we did, but on reflection, no, not at all - we were finding our feet. I'd been writing with Tim for a few years before Talkboy, but that was an amalgamation of everything we listened to combined with no experience. I remember, in mine and Tim’s first band before Talkboy, we wanted to go with a Warpaint combined with David Bowie vibe which, no idea how, ended up sounding like Evanescence meets Bruce Springsteen. It took me a while to realise I needed to stop trying to sound like other people and instead just focus on writing good songs.Tim: I don’t think any band does do they? We definitely had a cross over of interests - bands like The Big Moon, David Bowie, Arcade Fire, The Beatles – loads of different influences between the 6 of us. The problem with us was finding the best way to get all these influences in and still create our own sound. We had been in bands for a good while before Talkboy was a thing, so I think that let us experiment a lot and gave us a better idea of where we wanted to go from the start.

What was the first song you wrote together?Tim: Well if we’re getting all pernickety, the first song any of the members wrote together was after a few too many lime sodas and for another project - for better or worse that song will probably never see the light of day. The first song that we wrote as Talkboy was our first single ‘Mother’ – I came up with the initial idea but the harmonies, back and forth vocals and arrangement was certainly a group effort.Calum:'Love Myself'. It’s a song before Talkboy’s time that pushed Tim and I from bandmates to best friends. Again, I’m not sure if it will see the light of day but who knows, perhaps we’ll do a Radiohead and whack it on an album in 2024.

Tell us about your new track, 'Someone Else For You'?Katie: It’s our first attempt at a love song. It's a relatable story - something most of us have experienced in one way or another - adjusting yourself to suit what you believe are the needs of another. It's a 'hindsight is 20/20' kinda thing - realising afterwards it was a waste of time trying to be someone you're not. It’s also our first release with Come Play With Me and LAB Records who we’ve just recently started working with.

Are you creative in non-musical ways too?Charlotte: Sure – I become fixated on making things – last month it was painting plant pots, and more recently I’ve been on a bit of a pom pom spree, so my house is covered in them, particularly orange ones.Calum: More so when I was younger and had more time on my hands. I wanted to be an actor before music, but I don’t look like Ryan Gosling. I still do the odd scribble here and there, but most of my creativity now goes into music.

What do you do for fun?Jake: When we’re not rehearsing we try to participate in fun and wholesome activities like bowls, sailing and equestrian sports. However, we do tend to just go to the pub.Sarge: We go to a lot of gigs – the Leeds music scene is really something at the moment. We also spend a lot of time in Brudenell Social Club, naturally. With us all being good mates for a few years now, we have a laugh and don’t take ourselves too seriously, and that’s what we want to convey in our music and live performance. We love having fun on stage, and we all love going to watch our friends and favourite bands do the same.

What’s your favourite thing about being a musician?Charlotte: I think my favourite part about being a musician is being around and collaborating with like-minded people on a day-to-day basis. You become a small family and look out for each other, as well as being able to be creative together and learn from each other.Jake: Getting to travel about the country with your pals and play shows! It definitely puts you in some weird situations and keeps you on your toes, if it’s anything, it’s a laugh. I do love being in the studio too though, two sides to the same coin I guess!

Do you have lots of plans n stuff in the pipeline?Tim: Yes - we’re super excited to be working with Come Play With Me and LAB for the next few releases, they seem excited about it too which is obviously encouraging. We have lots of live stuff in the pipeline – so far announced for this year we have Live at Leeds (04.05.19) and Stockton Calling (20.04.19). I often think our plans get the better of us sometimes, we have massive goals and then remember that we have very little money and that we should probably save the pyrotechnics for at least a little while, but I guess you have to dream big right?Katie: Yeah – we’re really excited for 2019. We’ve been together just over a year now, and I’d say we’re a pretty solid unit, we all have a clear objective of where we want to be in another years time. Plus I love making plans – you should see our timeline. So extensive.

Talkboy's new single ‘Someone Else For You’ is out Friday 8th February via Come Play With Me / LAB Records.

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